QUestion about changing daycare center to reduce DD's commute time

Dragonflymama

New member
DD (nearly 4yo) currently commutes with me (or DH) 15 miles each way between home and her daycare center near my work. Most of these miles are freeway driving. I just hate that she is exposed to so much commute time/crash risk. However, there were no openings in any local daycare centers when we moved to the new house in August 06.

Well, we just got a call that we are at the top of the waitlist for a center that is less than a mile from our home. Do we move DD to a new center to save the commute? She is pretty adaptable child, but still talks a lot about missing her old house and old care provider from before our August move. She has been in the current daycare center for 9 months and has really settled in, made good friends and seems generally well-adjusted. The new daycare opening is for September 07. She will then have been in the current center for a whole year and then we would be moving her to the new one for only one more year before kindergarten.

I am torn. A huge part of me wants to get her off the freeway no matter what. But I also feel sad for her having to make another big social adjustment just when she has gotten settled and comfortable with the current daycare center. Also, the current center is a very nice, newly constructed facility while the "new" one is a great program, but housed in an old "retired" elementary school building. Great teachers, but no air conditioning, old equipment and furnishings, just plain old. That shouldn't matter, I know, but it is nice that she is in such a new and comfortabel setting now.

I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter if I avoid the discomfort of a change in centers if she gets hurt or worse in a freeway accident.

We need to decide this week, so I'd like some feedback (support, as you can probably tell, I am leaning towards making the change but feeling bad for my little girl having to make all new friends).
 
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southpawboston

New member
well if you have a safe car, and you are a safe driver, and your child is properly restrained (you don't mention if in 5-point harness or booster), then the real life risk of your DD suffering injury or death during your communte is very, very slim. also, if the freeway is divided, then the chance of a head-on collision, which is statistically the worst kind, is extremely rare, as is the chance of getting T-boned. freeways are pretty safe.

if it were me, personally, i would not put my child through yet another major adjustment, especially only a year after a major adjustment that she still remembers. that's just my personal :twocents:
 

Dragonflymama

New member
Thanks SouthPaw! I drive a 02 Ford Escape and she is in either a MA (in my car) or Radian65 (when DH picks her up, about 1-2 times a week). I believe that I am a safe driver. I've had one accident (not my fault, otehr driver ran red light) when 7.5 months pregnant and no tickets in over a decade. DH on the otehr hand, has multiple traffic tickets. He drives a full sized pick-up (Dodge Ram).

I am torn. As you rightly point out, it would be better to spare her another major transition so soon after last year's move. One other point that I failed ot mention is that if we do move her to the new center, many of the kids there would be in her kindergarten class, so it would make the next transistion a bit smoother anyway.
 

twokidstwodogs

New member
Echoing Southpaw here....the risk of getting into an accident with her is very small. The quality of her childcare experience, however, will have a huge impact on her life. Go with what you think is the best childcare setting for her. (I am slightly wary of brand new centers, no matter how promising they seem. When the teachers are still trying to get adjusted, it's pretty hard for them to create smooth transitions for the kids.)
 

amy919

New member
My biggest concern would not be about the Freeway driving. Your're keeping her as safe as possible and there's no guarantee that a crash wouldn't happen in a residential area with catastrophic results.

I personally like having my kids closer to my work than our home. It's more of a security thing for me. Granted, our house is only about 20 minutes from their school, but it's less than 5 minutes from my work. From my point of thinking, if I need to reach my kids in an emergency, I can be there in 5 minutes as opposed to 20. I'm at work all day, 10-12 hours a day and I like knowing my kids are close by.

I would also be concerned about moving her again since another move is around the corner. Yes, kids are adaptable and I'm sure she'll do fine either way, but I'm a big fan of consistency. And if you're happy with where she currently is, I'd probably leave her there.

Just my :twocents:

Good luck with your decision!

Amy
 

southpawboston

New member
I personally like having my kids closer to my work than our home. It's more of a security thing for me. Granted, our house is only about 20 minutes from their school, but it's less than 5 minutes from my work. From my point of thinking, if I need to reach my kids in an emergency, I can be there in 5 minutes as opposed to 20. I'm at work all day, 10-12 hours a day and I like knowing my kids are close by.

that's another good point, i hadn't thought of that. you're bound to be called to come get your daughter because of a sudden illness, or something along those lines... and you're much closer to her daycare facility during the workday.
 

Morganthe

New member
My biggest concern would not be about the Freeway driving. Your're keeping her as safe as possible and there's no guarantee that a crash wouldn't happen in a residential area with catastrophic results.

I personally like having my kids closer to my work than our home. It's more of a security thing for me. Granted, our house is only about 20 minutes from their school, but it's less than 5 minutes from my work. From my point of thinking, if I need to reach my kids in an emergency, I can be there in 5 minutes as opposed to 20. I'm at work all day, 10-12 hours a day and I like knowing my kids are close by.

I would also be concerned about moving her again since another move is around the corner. Yes, kids are adaptable and I'm sure she'll do fine either way, but I'm a big fan of consistency. And if you're happy with where she currently is, I'd probably leave her there.

Just my :twocents:

Good luck with your decision!

Amy
:yeahthat: and what everyone else has noted too.

You're also getting a lot more 'together' time commuting with one another than if you drop her off near your house. Some of my best conversations with my dd has been while in the car. :love:
15 miles each way = how much time with one another? (20 minutes? more or less? just curious)

Your daughter would have to handle the change of facilities + less companionship time with her parents in addition to all the recent adjustments. It could be the straw. If she's happy with the drive time and her location, if there's no other considerations such as affordability, it probably would be best to leave her there.

jmho :)
 

amy919

New member
You're also getting a lot more 'together' time commuting with one another than if you drop her off near your house. Some of my best conversations with my dd has been while in the car. :love:
15 miles each way = how much time with one another? (20 minutes? more or less? just curious)


Ditto that! It's a great way to start and end my work day. It's my "alone time" with the girls. We leave the radio off and talk every day to and from school.

Amy
 

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